Twin Leaves in the Shadow

第12章

"Hashirama? What are you doing?" Tobirama called out, standing at the door to Hashirama's bedroom.

Hashirama's eyes shot open and his attention turned to the space beside him. His eyes frantically searched for Madara, but he was no where to be seen. He placed his hand on the spot where Madara slept. It still felt warm, indicating that he left not too long ago.

"What are you looking for?" Tobirama questioned.

Hashirama whipped his head around to answer him.

"Nothing," he replied.

He felt his cheeks burn as he spoke the lie. Tobirama stared at him, puzzled by his brother.

"Well," he sighed, "You need to hurry up and get ready. You'll be late."

Hashirama glanced down at Tobirama's attire. He was dressed formally in all black. Suddenly, he was reminded. The conference was today. Rushing out of bed, he scurried down the hallway to wash up.

"I'll meet you at the office. I have to go over last minute details. Please don't be late," Tobirama announced through the bathroom door.

Hashirama could hear his footsteps trail off down the hallway. He finished cleaning himself off and hurried back to his room. Quickly rummaging through his drawers, he grabbed his formal outfit. He dressed himself in a nice red long-sleeved shirt with a white neck wrap and matching red pants. Looking in the mirror, he felt proud of what he saw. The things he dreamed of were finally coming true and it would all become official today.

He left his home and made a beeline to the conference. The village was extra lively with the excitement of a Hokage being chosen today. A celebration would be held later in the evening to announce the Hokage, so people were out decorating and roaming around in preparation. It warmed Hashirama's heart seeing the village thrive like this.

Entering the conference room, tons of officials from the Land of Fire and various villages were gathered around chatting. Hashirama could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked towards his seat at the center of the table. The people looked at him in awe, amazed by the powerful shinobi. He forced a smile to everyone, waving his hand until he finally sat in his chair. His eyes scanned the room, looking for a familiar face.

"I'm proud of you, big brother."

Tobirama stood behind him, with his hands on Hashirama's shoulders. He let out a sigh of relief, comforted by Tobirama's presence.

"It couldn't have been done without your help," Hashirama beamed.

He felt Tobirama's hands leave his shoulders abruptly. The younger brother then appeared at his side, with a grimace on his face. Hashirama followed his eyes to find Madara and other Uchiha higher-ups entering the room. His heart began to race seeing Madara dressed formally. He wore an all black ensemble with the Uchiha emblem on the back of his top. Hashirama watched him as he greeted the various leaders in the room.

Leaning down to his ear, Tobirama whispered, "You're going to get it."

Hashirama knew what he meant by his statement. He thought of Madara and how hurt he was the night before. Would he accept whatever the result would be?

He turned his eyes away from Tobirama to find Madara again, but he was no longer in sight.

"Hashirama, Tobirama. Good morning to you both," Madara spoke, with extra grit in Tobirama's name.

He had walked up beside the brothers with his clan members in tow. Hashirama turned in the direction of the familiar, deep voice. Blush covered his cheeks, gazing up at the dark-haired man standing beside him.

"Good morning, Madara. Always a pleasure," Tobirama drawled.

Hashirama watched as Madara force a smile at Tobirama. The tension in the air became thick.

"Good morning, Madara. I hope you're doing well," Hashirama asserted, breaking the awkward silence.

"Quite well," Madara grinned, eyeing the brunette below him.

Hashirama blushed, reverting his eyes away from Madara. His heart began to race, thinking of the night before.

"That's rather bold," he thought.

The room went silent, making the men look for the cause. The Feudal Lords had entered the room and people began walking to their seats. Madara and Tobirama sat on each side of Hashirama at the center of the table.

"Let the meeting begin," an aide called out.

_______________________________

"Congratulations, big brother," Tobirama beamed, patting Hashirama on the back.

The conference had just ended and everyone was filing out of the room. Madara briefly congratulated him before quickly exiting the room with the others. Hashirama couldn't tell if he was upset or not, but he hoped Madara would come to him later.

"You need to go get prepared for this evening," Tobirama continued, dragging his brother out of the room with him.

Hashirama hadn't fully processed that he was now Hokage. It had all happened so fast. He knew it was always a possibility, but he had really hoped to give this chance to Madara.

"Hashirama?"

Brought back to reality, Hashirama realized he was now in his office with Tobirama. On his desk was a white cloak and a hat sitting on top. There was red embroidery on both the cloak and hat that stood out brightly. He was immediately drawn to it, gently running his fingertips along it.

"Try it on," Tobirama encouraged.

Hashirama glanced back at his brother. He had a look of admiration on his face as he watched Hashirama put on the items.

"How does it feel?" Tobirama asked.

"Like a Hokage," Hashirama replied.

His emotions came flooding to him all at once. A smile smeared across his face. Overcome by excitement, Hashirama pulled his younger brother in for a bear hug. Laughter and joy filled the room and surrounded the two brothers.

"I'll give you a minute to gather your thoughts before the announcement," Tobirama sighed, breaking free from the hug.

He left Hashirama alone in his office. Hashirama could hear commotion in the hallway of aides rushing around to prepare. He walked over to the window behind his desk and watched over the bustling village. The crowd had grown even more since this morning.

"This is my village and I am their Hokage." he thought, smiling to himself.

The door to the office opened behind him, making him turn around. An aide had peeked his head into the office.

"They're ready for you," he declared. "It's time to introduce the village to their Hokage."